When Nagoya Castle was under construction by Kato Kiyomasa, Bansho-ji was moved from the castle grounds to its present site and the stone statue of Fudomyo-o was transferred with the other temple furnishings as one of the Bansho-ji's Treasures. This image has an interesting story.

In 1570, when Nobunaga was returning from his victory over the Asakura clan in Echizen he was hit in the chest by bullets from rifleman-priests as he passed an ambush near the north shore of Lake Biwa. The shots would have been fatal had it not been for the fact that the priest at Bansho-ji had given Nobunaga some emergency rations in the form of dried rice cakes, knowing that Nobunaga was quite fond of the delicacy.

Nobunaga had stuffed them inside his breastplate until needed and when the accurate fire of the riflemen probed for his heart, the bullets did not reach his soft flesh for they came to rest in the tough slab of hardened rice cake. Nobunaga believed that Fudomyo-o had interceded in his behalf and vicariously took the impact of the rifle slugs in the substitute flesh of the rice cakes.

Forty years later, when Kato Kiyomasa was building Nagoya Castle, he heard this story and named the statue Migawari Fudomyo-o, suggesting that it could divert misfortune from its devotees by acting as their substitute when menaced by disaster. The people in the vicinity ascribed the magic powers to the rice cakes and the tea stall in front of the temple did a lively business; for the people not only relished them as a delicacy, but considered them as an effective amulet against misfortune.

The teastall has long since disappeared, but, in order to preserve the tradition, rice is pounded into dough for rice cakes within the precincts of Bansho-ji on the 28th day of each month to serve to visitors. The Migawari protection provided by Fudomyo-o has attracted the attention of many automobile drivers who pray that the deity will be their substitute when danger threatens.

This is a little talisman to ward off evil and bring good business. He is sold at the temple Daikaku-ji in Amagasaki during the Spring Festival. Since the Meiji period every year the temple prepares a little Daruma with a short jacket made from a bleached seaweed (konbu) for people who apply for it. On the seaweed the name and age of the person and his zodiac animal are written and then this is put up at the Family Shelf of the Gods for daily prayer.

The sheet of seaweed is fastened with a belt of an auspicious braided red and white cord (mizuhiki). This Daruma helps to ward off evil and disaster and takes on a cold on your behalf (migawari). He is also called "Daruma who wards off evil" (yakuyoke Daruma 厄よけだるま). When the year is over, you bring him back to the temple for consecration and apply for a new one.

The little Daruma is about 5 cm high and used to be made in Osaka but he is now made in Kyoto and is usually called "Tiny Roly-Poly" (mameagari 豆上がり). His face is painted very simply and his head has a golden dot, therefore he is also called "Gold-headed Daruma" (kinten Daruma 金天だるま).

His existence is also based on a play of words. "To feel happiness" (yoro-kobu) becomes "Yoro-Konbu"; you feel happy about getting better after illness or if your daughter finds a good match. So the seaweed type called KONBU carries an auspicious meaning and is usually part of a meal at the New Year and other auspicious occasions.